In an electric vehicle such as an electric automobile, a battery serving as a power source for a motor is normally mounted (see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei 5 (1993)-305879, for example). In the electric automobile described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei 5-305879, side sills, rear pillars, and rear side members respectively located on both right and left sides of a vehicle body are joined together by using four cross members extending in a vehicle width direction, and a battery is housed and placed in a space surrounded by these cross members.
In addition, each end portion in the vehicle width direction of the cross member located on an upper rear side is connected to an intersection of a lower end portion of the corresponding rear pillar and the corresponding side sill by use of a transmission link that extends substantially linearly. Each transmission link extends outward in the vehicle width direction as well as downward toward the front of the vehicle.
Accordingly, when a load is inputted to the vehicle in the direction from the front toward the rear, the transmission links can protect the battery by sustaining a forward movement of the aforementioned cross member.